DRIVERS DON'T THINK!

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 26, 31 July 1939, Page 10

DRIVERS DON'T THINK!

SNOW ON THE RIMUTAKAS "RIOT OF CARS" Snow on the Rimutakas! Great fun. Let's get to it! And they did, a thousand or so car parties yesterday afternoon, for it takes all sorts of foo shness to keep mankind amused, but what happened on the hill road yesterday went beyond foolishness. It was mass motoring stupidity. No one was hurt, but it is not the sort lof thing that the patrol officers want to jhave to untangle next weekend. I The first, cars, a few hundreds, made for the top and packed the flat there 'to the last square yard; those who got | the best places by avoiding the rush I were there long after they had had enough snow. Later, cars parked on the roadside, two and three deep, and stretched half-way down on either side. For an hou. there was complete confusion at the bend at the wind-break, with cars at all angles, bumpers and mudguards locked. On some bends the snow became slush, on others, where the drifts were deeper, packed ice. Car*s slid back and into the ditch or on to the cai behind, and wherever the jam was worst irrepressible idiots added their bit by pelting cars and dumping armfuls of snow through open windows. The previous heavy snow weekends went through fairly well, but yesterday, when the snow was light—not more than an inch, or so except in drifts—this mass gaiety afflicted Wellington and Wairarapa motorists^ Two Transport Department inspectors j worked on the hill, but they did not j reach the worst confusion until late i in the afternoon, for the; -ere jammed ! up with the rest of them. ' The road was not cleared until after dark, and just how bad the confusion and congestion were is indicated by the five hours taken by one party. with an elderly lady passenger, from Featherston to Wellington. Other cars were two and three hours on the hill, neither able to move forward nor backlet alone turn to get out of t .c mess to j which the* had contributed. j No one who was jammed up on the; hill till dark yesterday is likely to whoop j and pile in to it again when a, warning of dangerous conditions is given, but there are lots more car parties ready to reoeat the jam next Sunday afternoon if Miere. is snow on the Rimutakas. At Christchurch the snow novelty traffic became so dangerous and unordered j+hat none but through traffic was permitted on the Cashmere Hills roads. ! ''nd after yesterday's showing the i same rule may be imposed on. the JRimutaka Hill in the interests of safety and common sense.